To be honest, I never thought that I would develop a hot and sour soup recipe. I have always shunned hot and spicy soups at Chinese restaurants because I don’t think they are truly authentic. Plus, there are plenty of other Chinese soups that I’d rather eat. It wasn’t until I traveled to Thailand and tasted tom yum soup for the first time that I realized how well spicy and sour flavors work together.
This hot and sour coconut noodle soup is inspired by tom yum soup recipes. I used bird’s eye chilies for the soup because I like their bright spice. Your tongue will detect the spiciness, but the chilies won’t numb your tongue like Sichuan peppercorns. The spice also doesn’t linger in the back of your throat. The amount of spice in this dish should be detectable, but won’t set your mouth on fire. If you love spice, feel free to add a few more chilies. Most tom yum soup recipes call for makrut lime leaves, which I know are not easy to get outside of Asian markets. That’s why I’m using lime zest instead. It gives the soup a similar bright citrus flavor.
You’ll notice in the recipe that I listed tofu, snap peas, and carrots as optional add-ins. I want you to pair this coconut noodle soup recipe with whatever vegetables and protein you desire or have on hand. Feel free to experiment with the recipe!
A NOTE ABOUT LEMONGRASS
I love to cook broths with lemongrass because it adds bright flavor. If fresh lemongrass is not easy to find, use 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemongrass paste. Do note that many store-bought lemongrass pastes are not vegan as they often contain dairy.
LOOKING FOR MORE NOODLES?
- Easy Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Fried Egg
- Coconut Curry Noodle Stir Fry with Glazed Tofu
- Sesame and Olive Soba Noodles
- You can also visit my complete noodles archives here.
Hot and Sour Coconut Noodle Soup (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 stalks of lemongrass
- 1 1/2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 to 5 bird's eye chili/Thai chili, sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium tomato, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- zest from 2 limes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 5 to 6 ounces mung bean threads/noodles
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (see note 1)
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 4 to 5 tablespoons lime juice, add more to taste
- 12 to 14 ounces fried tofu, sliced (see note 2)
- 1 large carrot, julienned (see note 3)
- 1 cup snap peas
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Trim off the bottom of the lemongrass stalks and peel the outer leaves (about 2 layers). Slice the stalks in half and discard the thinner, woodier portion. Slice the remaining stalks into 3-inch chunks. Bash the lemongrass with the flat side of your knife or a kitchen mallet. Set the lemongrass aside.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bashed lemongrass chunks and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Mix in the chiles, ginger, and garlic. Cook for a minute, until the ginger and garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, coriander, and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lime zest and vegetable broth, cover the pot, and bring the broth to boil.
- Reduce the heat a little. Add the noodles and cook them for 5 minutes, partially covered. Add tofu, carrots, and snap peas to the dish, add them to the pot. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the snap peas turn vibrant green and the noodles are fully cooked. Add the coconut milk and scallions and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and mix in the lime juice.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking, adding more salt or lime juice.
- Serve the noodle soup in bowls. Garnish with sesame seeds if you like.
Notes
- Feel free to use light coconut milk for a lighter soup.
- In the photos, I am using fried tofu that I buy from an Asian market. You can press extra firm tofu for 15 to 20 minutes, slice into rectangular pieces and pan fry them over medium-high heat.
- If you don’t want to julienne a carrot, dice it and add the carrots to the pot the same time that you add the tomatoes.
- Variations: You can transform this recipe into a rice soup by adding 3/4 cup of basmati or jasmine rice instead of noodles. You will need to simmer the soup for 15 to 18 minutes to ensure that the rice is fully cooked.
Jess @choosingchia says
this soup looks delicious Lisa! I love adding lemongrass to soup it gives such great flavour!
Maria Koutsogiannis says
Yum! This looks so yummy and beautiful.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks, Maria!
Gemma says
I just wanted to thank you for this amazing recipe! Me and my husband have just had it for dinner and we loved it.
Lisa Lin says
Gemma, thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mattie says
Hi! Do you think I could substitute lemongrass paste for the stalks? If so, should I use 2 TBSP? This looks delicious!!
Lisa Lin says
Yes, lemongrass paste absolutely works! If you are using the Gourmet Gardens lemongrass paste, then use 2 tablespoons. I have used Sainsbury’s lemongrass paste as well, and because of the vinegar content in the paste, I would only use about 1 tablespoon. Hope this helps!
Megan says
What firmness did you use on your tofu? And did you just pan fry yours and add it to the soup before serving?
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Megan. I bought fried tofu from a local tofu vendor, and they come in 4 blocks that have been fried already. You can pan fry large pieces of extra firm or super firm tofu and slice them into smaller strips to get something similar. Hope this helps!
Calvin says
May I know how to make vegetable broth? Do you have the exact amount measurement of each ingredients to make the vegetable broth? Appreciate if you can share to my email [email protected]
As I see most of the noodle broth recipes uses vegetable broth. Thanks
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Calvin. To be honest, for the most part, I buy boxed vegetable broth or use Better than Bouillon’s vegetable broth concentrate. I will develop a recipe for a vegetable broth soon though.
Hannah Secrist says
Hi, I cannot find Thai Chiles near me. Can you suggest another pepper?
Lisa Lin says
Hi Hannah, Jalapeno peppers can work too! I’d probably use one. Otherwise, you can add spice by using red pepper flakes. I’d start with 1/2 a teaspoon of the flakes, but if you like spice, use 1 teaspoon.
Hannah says
Thanks! I grabbed some seranos today. Can’t wait to try it!
Lisa Lin says
That totally works, too. Please let me know how it goes!
Nicole Bolton says
would udon noodles work?
Lisa Lin says
Yes, absolutely!
Glenda says
I really liked this. Didn’t have the peppers so I substituted diced tomatoes with chillies. Used chicken base, leftover chicken breast and that worked out well. I would have liked a little more coconut milk though.
Lisa Lin says
Glenda, thanks for making the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
Flo says
Can you freeze this? If not how long does it keep for in the fridge?
Lisa Lin says
Hi, Flo! You can freeze the soup in ice cube trays (once the soup is cooled). I have not frozen this with noodles–I tend not to like the texture of frozen noodles that are reheated. You can keep the soup in the fridge for about 4 days.
Rebecca says
I just made this! It was an amazing and satisfying vegan meal and tastes great reheated as well
Lisa Lin says
Thank you SO MUCH for trying this recipe, Rebecca! Glad you enjoyed it!
Shannon says
I made this soup this past week and then I made it again because it was SO GOOD. We didn’t make it spicy because the fiancé doesn’t do hot. However it was so flavorful and amazing! I was told that I should make this once a week. We had it with carrots, broccoli and water chestnuts to give it some heartiness. Thank you and glad I stumbled upon this!
Key says
Unbelievably delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe! Made this for my mother who is allergic to any grains and milk products and she loved it, Tons of flavour and just the right amount of spice (aka get a hint, but wont burn your tongue off). Definitely a recipe we will be making again.
William says
This is a really incredible recipe—a bit spicy without being too much, and amazing flavors. I added cubed tofu and snap peas as suggested, and I also used udon noodles instead of mung been noodles. I also added a significant amount of lime juice because I love the stuff, and garnished with a little cilantro.
The recipe made a lot of food, so I froze a couple pints of soup for a later date and it was still great when unfrozen. Couldn’t recommend this recipe enough.
Sara says
Do you think you could use shirataki noodles and have the texture turn out the same?
Lisa Lin says
You can definitely use shirataki noodles. The texture will be slightly different than what I have in the photos, but it still works!